


Man-Made

by cordeliadelayne



Series: Man-Made [2]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dinosaurs, Don't Trust Helen, Drama, Future Predator, Gen, Human Experimentation, Lies, Light Angst, Mystery, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 21:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6441472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helen's meddling in time goes further than anyone expected and the team soon realise that there’s nothing that she won’t do to get what she wants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Man-Made

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 of the Man-Made series which should be read in order. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2008.

**Present**

Stephen woke the same way he always did; muscles tightening, breathing slowed, hands clenching until finally his eyes snapped open.

“One of these days you’re going to give me a heart attack,” Cutter observed from the doorway. A steaming mug of coffee meant for Stephen was in his hand, as per the routine they’d developed over the past week.

“If you’d just learn to tread quietly,” Stephen replied and moved to sit up in bed. It was the same conversation they had every morning and neither man showed any inclination towards breaking the cycle.

Cutter stepped forward and put the mug on the side table. “I need to head to the ARC. What time’s the physio coming?”

“Eleven, as usual.”

“Will you be all right till then?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“See you tonight.” Cutter headed towards the door and paused before turning back around. “Abby and Connor thought they might pop around for dinner. If you’d like?”

“Ok,” Stephen replied, his tone perfectly neutral.

“See you around six then.” Cutter left before he became any more uncomfortable. Inviting Stephen to stay at his house was meant to have been an opportunity for the two of them to sort out their problems, but they had stalled at the first hurdle and now he wasn’t even sure if their relationship was salvageable. Of if there was any point in trying.

**One Week Earlier**

Abby and Connor sat on the edge of Lorraine’s desk pretending to take an interest in pictures of her six-year-old whilst doing their best to surreptitiously look up at Lester’s office. Both failed.

“They’re bound to let you know what they’ve decided soon. No point worrying about it,” Lorraine said. “Why don’t you go check up on Stephen?”

Abby at least looked apologetic for being caught out; Connor was oblivious.

“We can’t,” he said, “the doctor won’t let us near him until they’ve got the results of the tests back.”

“What are they testing him for exactly?”

“I dunno. Maybe he’s got a chip in his brain and he’ll kill us all when we’re not looking.”

“Connor!” Abby snapped. “He’s still Stephen.”

“Is he?” Lorraine asked. “Whoa, hold up,” she replied to their incredulous expressions, holding up both hands in self-defence. “It sounds to me like something pretty weird went on with the FP…”

“FP?” Connor interrupted.

“Future Predator.” Lorraine ducked her head. “I heard some of the soldiers…Anyway, never mind that. You were there. Did it seem like Stephen to you?”

Abby stood up. “I’m going to get a drink. Can I get you one?” she asked coldly.

Lorraine sighed. Upset as Abby was she couldn’t come close to the wrath Lester had subjected her to recently. “No, thank you.”

“Fine. Connor?…Connor?” But Connor was paying far more attention to the main door through which Caroline had just walked.

“I’d forgotten that was today,” Connor said.

“What’s today?”

“Her interview. With Lester and Cutter.” Raised voices echoed around the large room. “Though I don’t think either of them are in the mood.”

“I couldn’t get hold of her to cancel,” Lorraine explained. “Maybe I should try and rearrange.”

“Oh, it’s all right,” Connor told her, bouncing to his feet. “She’s not been here before, I’ll give her the grand tour.” And he waved cheerily at Caroline and bounced over to where she was standing, nervously clutching at her bag. Abby watched him go with a heavy heart. She couldn’t even tag along now she was supposed to be getting a drink.

“They make a cute couple, don’t they?” Lorraine asked. Abby headed to the break room.

**Two Weeks Earlier**

“You don’t think it’s too pink, do you?”

“It’s never bothered you before,” Abby replied, not looking up from the sports equipment catalogue she was flicking through.

“I don’t want it raw.”

“Raw? What are you…” She looked up to see that Connor was examining the steak he’d brought over to the table.

“You made dinner?”

“Well I needed to practice. What did you think I was talking about?” He looked up at her quickly and then concentrated on poking the meat to see how much blood oozed out.

“I thought you meant your…” She waved vaguely at his pink shirt and tie combo but decided that she kind of liked it. “It doesn’t matter. So, practice? Does this mean you’re finally going to contribute to the cooking around here?”

“I help out!” Abby stared at him. “Well, I’m more for emergencies.”

“Emergencies?”

“Yeah, you know, figuring out…stuff.” He looked around. “Like reprogramming the DVD recorder and…reformatting your hard drive.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“ _Exactly._ And they work much better now don’t they?”

 _Not really._ “Not really, no.”

“Oh, well, anyway, I don’t want to poison her or anything.”

“Her?” Abby asked, sitting up straighter.

“Yeah, Caroline. I’ve asked her round tomorrow.” Abby stood up. “I mean you can join us…”

“Oh, no. I’ve already got plans.”

“You have? You haven’t mentioned them.”

“I don’t tell you everything, Connor,” Abby snapped. “I’m going out with some friends for a drink, I’ll probably be late.”

“Right. What friends…?”

“Friends, Connor, okay. Now I have to get to yoga. I’ll see you later.” She paused as she passed the table and examined the meat with a critical eye. “Another twenty minutes at least.”

**Present**

Stephen dressed languidly, stubbornly refusing to do more than glance in the bathroom mirror after his shower. Once had been enough to prove to him that the operations he’d undergone in the future had done as advertised. His skin was knitted back together and the scars made invisible, except for those along his back. Helen had been so eager to get back that the doctors had decide to concentrate mainly on the areas likely to be seen the most; without this permanent reminder it might even have been possible to believe it had all been a bad dream. As it was he couldn’t stop imagining he could feel the slight indention’s of puckered skin as he stroked a finger across his arm. Or the nightmares. Flashes of teeth, tearing of skin, slick slide of blood, endless roars that echoed around his head. If he ever saw a raptor or sabre-tooth again there was a definite possibility that he’d just run the other way.

And he had no place on the team if that was true.

Not that he’d been asked.

He padded barefoot down to the kitchen, seeking what comfort he could from the familiar routine. Tea, toast and scrambled eggs later he was feeling much better, and only had another hour until the physio arrived. It wasn’t really necessary, at least Stephen didn’t think so, but it had been part of the conditions Lester set down before Stephen had been allowed to leave the ARC. That, and the armed soldier stationed outside the house. Stephen peered out the front window and pointed towards his mug of tea and as usual the soldier shook his head, but at least this one grinned in response. Stephen smiled back and cast his eyes around the area; he counted three more soldiers attempting to be inconspicuous. Two less than yesterday. Progress of a sort.

They would be no match for Helen but whether they were to keep her out or him in, he wasn’t sure.

Another mug of tea and Stephen was sitting in front of Cutter’s computer, catching up on everything he had missed. Connor logged on to Messenger and sent him a quick note, “Anomaly opened. Heading there now. Sighting of “big creature with claws!” Will take photos!!!!!” Stephen responded with “Be careful!” to which Connor only sent a smiley face in return. Stephen smiled; some things never changed.

Nearly four months he’d been gone and there was hardly anything worth noting in the news. Same old wars, same old mindless destruction. Same old cover-ups.

This is what his life had become. Lies followed by more lies. He was ashamed how easily each new lie rolled off his tongue. He needed to talk to Cutter, properly talk to him. There were things that needed to be said and now, before it really did become too late. Maybe if he went to the ARC and waited for them to return? But no, Lester would no doubt have a problem with that.

Just as he was stretching to relieve the ache in his back (future drugs were so much better than the ones he’d been prescribed now) he heard a sound at the back door. It could only mean one thing.

“Hello, Stephen.” _Helen._

**One Week Ago**

Cutter stormed out of Lester’s office and nearly went careening into Connor and Caroline who had paused at the top of the walkway.

“Oh, Professor…this is…”

“Not now, Connor.” Cutter went past them, barely sparing the woman a glance. He knew he was being rude but he couldn’t face making small talk right now. If he couldn’t see Stephen (“under no circumstances are any of your team to go near him until our tests have been completed”) then he could at least make a start on the necropsy of the future predator. Lester’s men had taken charge of it to begin with but Cutter’s perseverance had paid off. Now all he had to do was find Abby.

“Lorraine!” Cutter called over the railing as he hurried down the walkway, “Where’s Abby?”

“Went to make a drink so she’s…” She trailed off as Cutter hurried out of the door. With a long-suffering sigh she went back to typing up the latest round of press releases Jenny had issued.

Cutter found Abby in the break room, an empty mug in her hand and a faraway look in her eye. He knew Stephen’s return was affecting all of them, but he also knew that he couldn’t stop to process it, there was simply too much to do. And by extension he couldn’t offer that luxury to the others either.

“Lester’s given the ok for us to do the necropsy.”

“Oh, sorry, what?” Abby shook her head. “Right, that’s good”.

“Abby, I know this is a tough time…”

“No, you know what? Let’s just get on with it.”

“Okay…” Surprised, Cutter followed Abby through to the necropsy room where the other scientists had already laid out the body of the future predator. They donned their protective clothing, put on their gloves and then stood staring at the creature.

Even with the damage inflicted by the bullets it was an awesome sight. It seemed designed for one single purpose, to kill. Though Cutter knew that he shouldn’t be making such teleological assumptions. Helen would have had a field day if he’d ever made such a statement in her presence. But thinking about Helen wouldn’t help him now. He needed to concentrate. There had to be answers here. Real, concrete science that he could use to make sense of, well, everything. There had to be more to Stephen coming back than simply Helen’s machinations.

“It’s different,” Abby said, cutting through Cutter’s thoughts.

“Different?”

“Yeah, look at it. The ridges on its back are different, and wasn’t its tail longer before?”

Now he moved closer to it, running a gloved hand along its skin he could see that Abby was right. It was subtle, but there were differences from the future predator they’d encountered before. Why would that be?

“Could it come from further in the future than the ones we saw before?” Abby asked, looking up at Cutter expectantly.

“It’s possible. Until we get the chance to talk to Stephen we won’t know exactly how far in the future Helen took him. This creature could originally be from there, or from even further in the future that had travelled into its past…or any other combination.”

“Our lives are really complicated, aren’t they?” Abby asked with a smile.

“Aye,” Cutter replied. “Never a dull moment. Let’s do this, shall we?”

“Ready when you are.” Abby pulled on her plexi goggles as Cutter reached for the heftiest cutting tool he could find. This was going to get messy.

**Present**

“What do you want, Helen?” Stephen asked, standing from his seat at the computer desk. He needed to think fast. He couldn’t afford to let her distract him again.

“I wanted to see how they were treating you.” She smiled widely, with just the hint of teeth. “I see you’ve been making yourself comfortable.”

“I’m doing all right.” He looked towards the door but there was no way he could make it there before Helen, and besides, no matter what she had done he couldn’t see himself physically grappling with her. She saw the direction he was looking and grinned even wider.

“I wanted to give you these, as well.” She stepped towards him, close enough so that her breath rustled his hair. She held out a familiar looking bottle of pills. “I expect you’ll be needing some relief,” she eyed him up and down, “by now.”

“I’m good, thanks,” he replied. He ignored her outstretched hand. Her eyes crinkled in annoyance but she only put the pills on the table and took a few steps back. Stephen stood exactly where he was, hands behind his back, fingers lightly resting on the edge of the keyboard. Now to put his plan into action.

“I’m surprised you came in the back way.”

“A few too many people up front,” she replied.

“So it wasn’t the fact that Nick’s changed the locks then?”

Helen’s expression darkened. “He wouldn’t…”

“Oh, he would and he did. He’s boxed up all your things too.” He pointed in the direction of the living room.

“What?” Helen stalked over to the room and peered in. Box upon box of books and other sundry items littered the room, along with bin liners that overflowed with clothes. Helen stood in the doorway, back stiffening in anger. Stephen saw his chance and went for it. As quietly as possible he typed in a message and prayed that Connor had done as he usually did, rushed out the door without shutting down his computer. Now all he needed was for someone to see it.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” Helen told him from the doorway.

“I think it means rather a lot myself.” Stephen couldn’t keep the smugness from his voice. It was nice to be able to have one over on Helen for a change.

Helen turned around. “All it means is that he’s having a clearout. Possessions aren’t important. You know that.”

“Possessions might not be. But what they represent certainly is.”

“Oh, and what do they represent?” Helen asked.

“He’s over you.”

Helen laughed. “You don’t really believe that do you? Jenny is hardly his intellectual equal.”

“Jenny does just fine. And why does he have to be interested in someone else? Isn’t it enough that he knows what a conniving bitch you are?” He knew provoking her wasn’t a good idea but right now he was feeling reckless. But not completely stupid. He moved away from the computer so there was no chance she could see what he’d done.

“I brought you back to life, don’t forget. You owe me.”

“And let me guess, you want something in return?”

“Don’t play dumb Stephen. You know exactly what I want.”

**Approximately 500 years in the future**

“I need some help!” Helen screamed, dragging what she could of Stephen through the doors of the private clinic. “Get me Dr Samson!”

“Dr Samson isn’t available. I…”

“Tell him Helen Cutter is here. He’ll want to see me. Now!” The nurse hesitated but one look at Stephen’s mangled body was all it took to send him running down the corridor. Helen pulled Stephen further into the entrance then leaned down to check his pulse. It was still there. Just.

“Hel…” he gasped but she shushed him impatiently. If this was to work she needed him unconscious.

“Helen? My god, what’s that?” Dr Samson ran down the corridor and staggered to a halt. He was an athletic man, well built with bushy brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses. His white coat was covered in blood splatter, as were his gloves.

“ _This_ , is going to win you the Nobel.”

“You’re kidding? The Project isn’t ready yet. We don’t have another sample…”

“Yes, you do. The Predator.”

Samson was about to make a retort when he paused, looking down at the body. If this worked then she was right and if it didn’t? Well, no one needed to know.

“Okay. We need to move fast. I don’t think he’ll last too long in that state.”

“Perfect. And you’ll need these.” She handed over a plastic bag.

“What’s in here?”

“The rest of him.”

**The Present**

“Run!”

“Come on, Jenny, move!”

“Professor, look out!”

“There! The barn!”

Jenny, Connor, Abby and Cutter ran as fast as they could towards the barn on the abandoned farm they’d be sent to that morning. Things were definitely not going according to plan.

Sliding inside each of them pushed the door shut and scrambled around for something to keep it closed.

“Nobody said anything about pterodactyls!” Jenny shouted, even as the creature’s talons scratched against the door, trying to find its way inside.

“Well it’s not actually a pterodactyl,” Connor began, “the wing's the wrong shape and the claws are…”

“Now isn’t the time, Connor,” Abby told him, reaching behind her to push the bar down onto the door, hopefully locking it for good. The four of them stepped back then flinched as the creature's squawk filled the sky.

“If you’d managed to shoot the thing in the first place,” Jenny snapped.

“It’s not his fault,” Abby responded. “He just didn’t adjust for the wind.”

“Yeah. Though it wouldn’t have happened if Stephen were here.” All three of them looked at Cutter but he made no response. “You have asked him back, haven’t you?” Cutter looked away and up to the roof. He could just make out the creature through some of the missing slats.

“You know he won’t come back unless you ask him,” Abby told him softly.

“I think we’ve got some more pressing problems right now, don’t you?” he non-answered. “Connor, give me the rifle.”

Connor handed it over silently.

“Stay here!” Before anyone could react Cutter was shimmering up the ladder to the next level, gun clasped tightly in one hand.

“What do you think he’s going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Jenny muttered, pushing the door back again, “but he better do it soon.”

Cutter crawled along to the corner of the roof that gave him the best view of outside. If he could just get the right angle…After one final push at the door, claws scraping against wood, the creature flew up. As soon as its head was level with Cutter’s he fired. The creature fell harmlessly to the ground.

**One Week Ago**

“He’s not human!” The voice reverberated through the open door of the infirmary and into the main corridor.

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little?” Stephen asked, following the doctor who was walking backwards into the corridor. But he stopped abruptly as two armed soldiers lifted their weapons and pointed them straight at him. He automatically raised his arms above his head.

“What exactly is going on here?” Lester demanded, appearing from out of nowhere.

“He’s not human,” the doctor replied, straightening his coat down in an attempt to appear more professional.

“Really?” Lester looked Stephen up and down. “He certainly looks human.”

“Well, not according to his blood work.”

“I see, and you decided that the best place to share this revelation was the middle of the corridor did you? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we have serious work to do here, this is not amateur dramatics hour!” Those few people who’d poked their heads out to see what the commotion was disappeared hurriedly. Cutter and Abby came out of the necropsy room, Connor and Caroline out of the break room. “I suggest we reconvene in my office. Now. And put those guns away!”

Lester strode passed them without turning around to see if they were following.

Cutter walked up to Stephen and patted his arm. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

“Right.”

They all headed towards Lester’s office except Caroline, who told Connor that she’d wait for him in the gym. There was a lot to take in and she wasn’t sure she could handle any more right now. Especially as till moments ago she hadn’t known that Stephen, the man she’d never met but who’s funeral she’d attended, was alive. Was this really the sort of place she wanted to work? The lure of adventure was only so strong.

“So,” Lester began, “somebody talk to me.”

He sat down at his desk and leaned forward whilst everyone else piled into his office, standing in a line before him. Cutter felt like a naughty schoolboy summoned to the Headmaster’s office.

“If you’d given me the chance to talk to you before whisking me off to the infirmary,” Stephen began, hands on hips.

“Yes, yes,” Lester waved a hand in dismissal. “Doctor? I believe you said something about Stephen not being human?”

The doctor flushed bright red. “I’m sorry sir, I was a little, startled.”

“Indeed. Well?”

“It’s just his blood work sir. There’s a chimerical quality to it that I’ve never seen before.”

“Chimerical?”

“He means that Stephen’s cells are no longer purely human,” Cutter explained. Everyone turned to him expectantly. “It’s something we began to suspect as we were doing the necropsy. Xenotransplantation?” He looked towards Stephen for confirmation. The younger man nodded, his face grim.

“Xeno-what?” Lester asked, flicking through the chart the doctor handed him without having the slightest idea what was going on. Some days all he wanted was a quiet life.

“It‘s like a normal transplant,” Abby explained. “Only instead of human to human it’s human and… non-human.”

“Wow,” Connor breathed.

“They’ve come on leaps and bounds in the future,” Stephen explained, not able to keep the bitterness from his voice. “Better drugs too,” he murmured wistfully.

“And they used the future predator to… patch you up?” Cutter asked.

“Yeah. Most of it’s still a blur, but Helen seemed to know the doctor pretty well. I guess it was always one of her contingency plans.”

“She said she’d been making discoveries in the future. I should have known she wouldn’t be happy tampering with only one timeline.”

“What exactly did they transplant?” Connor asked.

Stephen shrugged. “All sorts. I had a ton of blood transfusions, various skin grafts. I suppose parts of organs. They gave me a whole cocktail of drugs to deal with possible rejection but, well…” He paused.

“Stephen?”

“I suspected that they’d been waiting for just the right moment to try this out on someone. Like I wasn’t their only experiment. That I was more compatible with the Predator because it had been made more compatible with humans.”

“But she’d have to have been planning this for years,” Jenny said, incredulously, having slipped into the room unnoticed.

“Aye, and knowing Helen, she probably was. We have no way of knowing how time is passing for her. She could spend years in the future, but come back here ten minutes after she left.”

“Maybe we should keep an eye out for a phonebox,” Connor said. But the joke fell flat and Abby shook her head at him. “Right, sorry, not the time.”

“So where would you like me to put the subject?” The doctor asked Lester.

“Subject?” Everyone asked.

“Lester you can’t…” Cutter began but was cut off when Lester stood from his seat and headed towards the doctor.

“ _Stephen_ will be staying here for the foreseeable future. He can use one of the rec. rooms. You can head back to the lab and finish the blood work before I feed you to a raptor. Understood?”

The doctor nodded meekly and headed out, almost colliding with Lorraine as he did so.

“Sorry, sir, but the PM’s on the phone. Says it’s urgent.”

“Of course he did. It always is with him. Well, what are you all still doing here?”

“Stephen’s not staying here.”

“Oh, really, Cutter. I wasn’t aware that was your decision.”

“He’s going to stay with me.”

“I am?”

“He is?”

“Yes.”

Lester stared at him for a moment, weighing up the pros and cons. “Very well. Now get out.”

They did so gratefully, with Stephen hanging back to talk to Cutter as they headed down the walkway. “Look, Cutter, you don’t need to do this…”

“Yes, I do. Your flat was sold after you…after. Most of your belongings are still stored at my house…”

“Yeah, I noticed Connor had my Ipod.” They shared a conspiratorial smile. “Are you really…?”

“Absolutely. We need to clear the air.”

**Present**

Lorraine sat at her desk and paused from typing, rubbing at her aching wrists. Maybe she could sneak off and get a coffee while the others were out at the anomaly site. Surely five minutes wouldn’t hurt? But just as she was rising from her seat a voice spoke: “That’s Cool”. She recognised it immediately, having been subjected to it plenty of times since her first day at the ARC. It meant that Connor had a message. Muttering to herself about inconsiderate schoolboys she went over to his desk, intent on simply shutting down the machine, and let him worry about any work he might lose. He shouldn’t have been messaging Stephen anyway, “he’s supposed to be resting, Connor” Abby had declared just as the anomaly detector had gone off. But she nudged the table as she leaned over and the screensaver disappeared, leaving her no choice but to look at the message.

“Oh my god.” She ran over to the phone and picked it up. Lester needed to be informed. And the tactical team. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before making her decision. She hoped Lester would forgive her as she asked the operator to put her in touch with the team outside Cutter’s house. As she waited to be connected she looked over at Connor’s computer. The word’s “Helen’s here”, flashed back, taunting her.

**One Week Earlier**

Stephen sat down awkwardly on the sofa, glass of whiskey in his hand. This certainly wasn’t where he’d expected to end up this morning. Or any morning again for that matter. Apart from the boxes littering the place it looked remarkably untouched by time. He noted with some bemusement that the only picture in evidence was one Connor had insisted on having taken when they were all filthy and covered in slime from exploding worms. They did look happy though. Despite the secrets Stephen had been festering.

“I’ve been having a bit of a clearout.”

“I can see that.” Stephen paused, unsure how to broach the next subject. He figured he’d do what he always did in these situations, grab the bull by the horns. “Helen’s stuff?”

“Thought it was about time.” Cutter laughed. “Well, it’s probably long overdue.”

“What are you going to do with it all?”

“Charity shops, I thought. Recycle anything they don’t want. It’s not like she’ll be coming back for it.”

Stephen stared down at the drink in his hand. “I never said I was sorry. About the affair.”

“And you don’t have to.”

“Of course I do,” Stephen looked up. “I never meant…”

“You fell in love.” Cutter sighed. “I know what that’s like. What is was like with Helen. She needed something from you she couldn’t get from me. Total acceptance of her theories.” Even as he said it he realised it was the worst possible moment to bring that up.

“And look where that got me,” Stephen laughed humourlessly, gesturing down at his body. He downed his drink in one and stood up.

“Stephen…”

“No, you’re right. I was too much of an idiot to see I was being played. I won’t be making that mistake again.”

Cutter frowned. He had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about Helen. “Stephen…”

“The spare room still where it used to be?”

Cutter gave up. He knew that it was no use trying to talk to Stephen when he got like this. “Of course. There are some spare towels in the bathroom, a spare toothbrush in there somewhere too.”

“Then I’m going to head to bed. It’s been a long day.” He walked out and then called softly from the bottom of the stairs, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Stephen.” Cutter poured himself another drink. He had a lot to think about.

**Present**

“You must know that I’m never going to tell you what you want, Helen.”

Helen gave her best predatory smile, stalking up to Stephen, standing as close to him as physically possible. “I brought you back, Stephen. I care about what happens to you.” She ran a finger down his cheek. “And you still love me.” She made it a statement, her body pressed flush against him. He had to gather all his reserves of strength not to shudder at her touch. It wouldn’t be much longer, surely.

“You know what, Helen,” he looked down at her, and she smiled as his glance settled on her cleavage before focusing on her face, summoning up all the hate he could, “I did love you. But I’ve gotten over it.”

The slap around the face took him completely by surprise and he fell back against the table. But before he could protect himself as she lunged at him, the front door was broken open and special forces appeared from every direction, guns pointing at both of them.

“Get on the ground! Now! Both of you! Move!”

Stephen didn’t think now was the time to argue so he did as he was told as quickly as possible. Even Helen looked contrite as she allowed herself to be handcuffed. Until her gaze met that of Stephen.

“This isn’t over,” she snarled. Stephen had no delusions otherwise.

**Two Days Earlier**

Stephen was standing on the walkway, his elbows resting on the edge of the railings. Connor and Cutter were excitedly tinkering with a portable anomaly detector and though his meeting with Lester had finished some twenty minutes ago, he hadn’t wanted to interrupt them. Connor certainly brought out the youthful side to Cutter, one that Stephen felt like he’d driven away. It was good to see them so happy, even if he did experience a twinge that it wasn’t him that Cutter turned to. Not any more.

He glanced over at Abby as she came to stand next to him. Neither of them said anything, just content for the moment to watch the others. Caroline brought the two men some tea and biscuits, much to Connor’s obvious delight, and then she waved up at Abby and Stephen, both of whom waved back.

“So she’s on the team then?” Stephen asked.

“Looks like it.”

Stephen glanced over at Abby from the corner of his eye. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Abby shrugged. “She’s been doing all right. Not proper fieldwork yet, but, yeah, she’s okay.”

Stephen smiled. Abby was doing her best but there was still the slightest hint of jealously in her voice. Still, he was hardly in a position to comment on anyone’s love life and if Abby was going to make Caroline feel welcome, he’d make an effort too.

They settled back into silence before Stephen once again broke it. “Have you ever told so many lies that you don’t know where the truth begins?” He looked over at Abby. “Of course you haven’t.” He shook his head. It had been a silly question.

“Have you been lying to us?”

He was impressed with how unemotional she’d managed to keep her voice. “Not exactly.”

“So you’re lying by omission?” she guessed. Stephen frowned. Maybe Abby had been the wrong person to bring this up with. “You have had quite a bit of practice.”

“If he’d have asked me I would have…”

“So it’s Cutter’s fault for not asking you if you were sleeping with his wife?” _There,_ definitely emotion that time.

“That’s not what I’m saying, Abby.”

“Then what are you saying, Stephen? Don’t you think there have been enough lies as it is?” She turned her back to the room below and leant back against the railings. Stephen did the same, mirroring her pose exactly and unaware that their no longer quite hushed conversation was now the subject of much speculation. “I think the truth is important.”

“Even if it ripped the boundaries of space and time to shreds?”

“Well,” Abby replied after a moment, pushing herself away from the railings, “I guess that’s something you’re going to have to decide for yourself.”

**Present**

The first thing Cutter was faced with when he re-entered the ARC was the sight of his estranged wife being led away to an interrogation room and Stephen having handcuffs removed. The others came to a startled stop behind him.

“Wow, we miss all the good stuff,” Connor said.

“Well don’t worry, Scrappy, there’s plenty of good stuff still to come,” Lester told them dryly.

“What happened?” Cutter asked, approaching Stephen first.

“Helen decided to pop round. Say hello. Catch up. You know how she gets.”

Cutter smiled despite himself. “Are you all right?”

Stephen shrugged. “I’ve been eaten by worse.” Cutter frowned. “Sorry, guess it’s still a little early for flippancy?”

“Might want to wait a month or two,” Connor advised seriously.

“Right, I’ll remember that.” Stephen smiled and Connor returned it, his grin saying what words couldn’t; that things were going to be all right.

“What did Helen want?” Lester asked, effectively ruining the moment.

Stephen took a deep breath and glanced over at Abby. He wondered how much of their previous conversation she remembered. Plenty if the look she shot back at him was any indication.

“Stephen, what’s going on?” Jenny asked.

“I didn’t tell you everything, about how I came back.”

Cutter took a step away from him. “Oh?” He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions.

“Helen wants some information from me. Information I’m not prepared to give her.”

“About what?” Cutter asked. His face was stony, his body tensed. He wasn’t sure what more betrayal from Stephen he could take. The others all glanced around nervously, save Lester who seemed completely unconcerned by unfolding events.

“About who opened the anomaly that allowed me to escape the creatures.”

There was a stunned pause.

Jenny was predictably the first to find her voice. “I thought Helen was the one who opened it?”

“No.” He started to pace up and down as he filled them in, the movement seeming to soothe his agitation. “She found me, or, what was left of me. Took me to the future doctor…you know all that. But she wasn’t the one who opened the anomaly. She didn’t drag me through it. She has no idea who did and she wants to know who it was. She’s desperate to know who it was.”

“Because someone else who can control the anomalies is a threat to her,” Cutter observed.

“Right.”

“Well, who was it then?” Lester asked.

“I can’t tell you.”

“This is a matter of national security. If there’s someone out there with the potential to change time…” Lester’s voice dropped off as he registered the smile on Stephen’s face. “Do we need to call a medic? Has all this time travel finally sent you dolally?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Stephen replied. “I can’t tell you because…” He paused as Caroline slipped into the room. She’d seen Helen being taken away and had wanted to know what was happening. She stood nervously by the door but Cutter nodded reassuringly to her and she stepped further inside until she was shoulder to shoulder with Abby. “I can’t tell you who opened the anomaly because I promised that I wouldn’t. And because that person’s in this room, and they don’t do it for another twenty years.”

Surprised didn’t come close to registering their reactions, Lorraine mused as she sat watching from her desk. But there was no time to do anything as the siren for the anomaly detector went off.

“We’re picking up garbled reports of a herd of something’s running amok through Central London,” Lorraine informed them, efficiently deciphering non-important from vital chatter on her Comm link.

“A herd?” Lester repeated. “This day just gets better and better. Very well, send out as many teams as we can spare. Cutter…”

“We’re on it,” Cutter replied. “Abby, Connor, bring as much weaponry as you can get your hands on. And as much tranquilliser. Caroline…”

“Me?” Caroline asked, surprised. “You want me to come?”

“Aye, I think it’s about time, don’t you? Start up the car, we’ll be right behind you.” He threw his keys at her and she beamed back in reply before hurrying after Connor and Abby.

“I’ll get working on a cover story and meet you there,” Jenny told him, nodding goodbye to Lester who was standing in the middle of the room, appreciating the well-ordered chaos around him.

Stephen stood where he was, unsure of what he should do or even how he was going to get back to Cutter’s house. Cutter walked over to the door and looked back.

“Well, Stephen, are you coming or not?”

Stephen stared back at him, confused, before tentatively returning Cutter’s smile. “Well, with an offer like that, how can I refuse?” And after shooting a quick glance at Lester, who seemed in no hurry to stop him, he followed his friends out of the ARC, all thoughts of Helen forgotten as he began to remember what being in a team felt like. There was no way he was going to let her ruin this for him. There was no way he was going to let _himself_ ruin this.

He’d seen the future, and the cost of doing nothing was a price humanity couldn’t afford to pay.


End file.
